Alex Smith and Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill once said, "Never give up."  I guess he didn't, and the Allies won World War II. It's harder for me to understand abolitionist Frederick Douglass, a freed slave, who spent his life fighting slavery. Slavery in this country outlived Douglass by many years. Susan B. Anthony fought for female suffrage, at least for white woman, throughout her life. She had long since expired before the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1920 allowing women the right to vote. Some people just keep on fighting. They don't quit, even if they die before their goals are achieved.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said something to the effect, "The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice."  Of course, he was assassinated before racial equality was achieved, since it really has never been achieved. Mahatma Ghandi and Itzhaak Rabin were both assassinated by members of their own religions while they sought equality.

I am sure if you are still reading this, you may be thinking that my thoughts are depressing. We are on the threshold of a new era, at least a new presidency and, in Missouri, a new Governor. What will the future hold? Are we going to regress or progress or stand still? I fear regression. Maybe the arc of history will bend toward justice. I hope do. We are but inconsequential participants in the arc of history.

Yet, I, along with most Kansas Citians, are watching the Chiefs/Colts game. After all, who expected the Chiefs to just tie up the game against the Patriots with one second left?  Is there hope?  At least for the Chiefs, we may know within 15 minutes. SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME. Winston Churchill never faced that.

P.S.  HOLY SMOKES!  We won!  Is my faith in humanity renewed?  We'll see.

Bigotry And Poppycock

This "Alt-Right" revival, or as it more accurately should be called "neo-Nazi" revival, seems to be in full swing. The meeting in D.C. with this guy named Richard Spencer exemplifies the worst in America. After his Anti-Semitic rant, he quoted Nazi propaganda in its original German and then he gets a front page story, complete with a photo shoot in the LA Times. I am sure Steve Bannon is proud big left unchecked, racism, misogyny, and anti-Semitism and their advocacy as set to run amok in America. I guess 8 years of a Black president was too much for a bunch of scared, insecure racists and they want to fight back.

It was a blow to me and I am sure to other women that a highly qualified woman was defeated by a temperamentally unsound man. I thought it was finally time where little girls could understand that their possibilities were limitless.  Not so, America. And now we experience a resurgence of hate.

According to people like Richard Spencer, I am not white because I am a Jew. I am an older female Jew who represents African-Americans, Asians, women and gays in discrimination cases. I know to the misguided White-Privilege deniers, the group suffering the most discrimination in this country are white men. Poppycock. These men do mot see that white men control the world. Depriving people of privilege is different than active discrimination.  The Alt-Right Nazi groups have no use for women like me.  They are too afraid and insecure to respect others. They are motivated by fear and hatred.

White people have privilege in this country. Men have privilege in this country. Is equality even a possibility? I am sure that I will receive troll responses stating about the sorry state of white men in this country. Half of my family is comprised of white men. My husband and son are white men. Yet the men in my family acknowledge that they are not being oppressed because of their whiteness or because of their maleness. They know they have privileges in society that they do not really deserve.

What will it take for there to be a woman in the White House?  Can we eliminate racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia?  I don't know. People do not willingly give up privilege and power.  As Dr King stated, "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."  

Ever Vigilant

The Glass Ceiling

Last night, I watched SNL. Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle made a crack about how Obama was a charismatic 40 year old man, while Hillary was just a 70 year old woman.  While I am a big fan of Obama, I don't think he is a good President because he is young, cool and hip. I guess women have an expiration date which makes them lose their freshness years before a man goes rancid. I am sick of this. Donald Trump is a 70 year old  braggart of avman who admitted to sexual assault, denigrated Mexicans, and bullied other candidates. Most lawmakers are old white men with little charisma. Donald Trump made a crack about Hillary's looks, apparently thinking that he is God's gift to women.  Hillary made some bad decisions, such as the email server.  But Donald Trump's life is filled with horrible decisions.  If Hillary had five children by three different men, you can be sure that she would never have been a serious candidate.

I am sick of the double standard. Women are judged by their looks and their youth, while male politicians can be downright disgusting, old and nasty and get away with it. I think Bernie Sanders is great. However, if he was a woman, do you think he would have come under more scrutiny?  Would Donald Trump have commented on his view of Sanders from the rear?  What if a woman had denied fondling young men by saying they were not good looking enough to be fondled?

When I was a young lawyer, I was told that I had to make sure I did not appear too aggressive or too passive, because women have to watch how they are perceived. I was instructed by a federal judge not to cry in court, although the male lawyers received no such warning. I was schooled in what type of jewelry, shoes, clothes, to wear. And above all else, I was not to get "emotional."  I don't dye my hair anymore and it's gray. I realize that if I worked in big business, I, like Hillary, would be required to dye my hair in order to look younger. When I was a young lawyer, certain older male lawyers called me sweetie and dear. I could go on and on.

I am just sick of the freaking double standard. This isn't about Hillary Clinton losing as much as it is about generations of women suffering concussion after concussion while slamming their skulls against that freaking glass ceiling.  Apparently that glass is bullet-proof.

Trump Backlash? Share Your Stories: stophatred16@gmail.com

Just since the election, I have heard terrifying stories of purported Trump supporters threatening people of color, women and Muslims. We cannot waste years of progress against sexism, racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, anti-semitism, etc.  Obviously, many if not most, Trump supporters are not bigots, but, we know some are. For crying out loud, the KKK formally endorsed Donald Trump. If you or someone you know is attacked physically or verbally or threatened because of your race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, etc., please speak out.

If a crime is committed against you or you are in fear, contact the police. Also, please email me your story at:

STOPHATRED16@GMAIL.COM

I WILL NOT PUBLISH YOUR STORY OR TAKE ANY ACTION WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION. BUT, WE CANNOT REMAIN SILENT. WE MUST MOVE FORWARD, NOT BACKWARD.